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As the most famous anime studio to exist, Studio Ghibli needs no introduction. Beloved even by non-anime fans, they have produced a multitude of stunning, genre and era-defining films over the years, including modern classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service, and, most recently, The Boy and the Heron.

For some, Studio Ghibli is their very first introduction to anime. Wanting to expand one's horizons is only natural, and fortunately there are plenty of options. From films to television series, there are a lot of anime that are linked to Studio Ghibli or touch on similar concepts. This makes them perfect for fans who want to dip their toes into the wider world of anime, while still enjoying works with similar animation styles and storylines.

Updated by Christy Mathew on 28th October 2024: Studio Ghibli is beloved by fans all over the world because of its heartwarming stories,...

Studio Ghibli is the most recognizable name in the anime industry, with their movies occupying a special spot in the experience of nearly every anime lover, casual or hardcore. Ghibli films are famous for their breathtaking art, beautiful animation, whimsical stories, and personal themes of love, loss, self-discovery, friendship, and growing up.

However, anime films of a similar nature do exist outside of Hayao Miyazaki's esteemed studio. From CoMix Wave Films to Studio Colorido, there are several producers outside of Ghibli who are responsible for making captivating productions that gift audiences with the same dream-like wonder and sense of fulfillment as seen in beloved Ghibli classics like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Whether it's in the art, animation, themes, or characters, plenty of non-Ghibli films offer something that creates a memorable experience in the same way Studio Ghibli has done for so many.

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Related 10 Best Anime Movies...

Drama series set in the worlds of Eurovision and the Vatican are among the selected projects for Series Mania’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions next month.

Among the 16 titles are European six-parter Eurovision Murder Mystery, which is from France’s Apc Stories and Germany’s Friday Film. Plot details were thin, but synopsis reads: “When you have 72 hours to solve a murder, save Eurovision and the fate of Europe. Fabienne Hurst and Bertrand Soulier are writing.

Vatican, from Italy’s Fabula Pictures, follows a father investigating the suspicious death of his only son. he discovers his child was involved in a prostitution ring inside the church used by unscrupulous bishops to control the Vatican policy. Flavio Bernard, Ciro Di Maso and Marcello Olivieri are attached to write.

Fifteen of the 16 Series Mania titles were previously unannounced for the event, which takes place on March 19 as part of the Series Mania Forum.

The aftermath of a deadly volcanic eruption will set the stage for a new eco-thriller between Los Angeles-based Upgrade Productions, Iceland’s Act 4 and Croatia’s Drugi Plan.

The eight-part series is produced by Act 4, the newly announced production company led by prominent Icelandic creatives, including “True Detective” actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and “Black Sands” producer Hörður Rúnarsson, and Croatia’s Drugi Plan, led by Nebojsa Taraba and Miodrag Sila.

Executive produced by Upgrade Productions, “Volcano” is based on an original idea by Taraba and Sila and written by Rúnarsson and Mateja Božičević (Prime Video’s “Carnival Row”). The mixed-language series will be shot in Iceland and Croatia, with production scheduled to start early next year.

After a crushing volcanic eruption devastates Iceland, a Un directive relocates the surviving residents to Croatia. “Volcano” follows the tensions that arise as these vastly different societies...

Co-president Matt Brodlie, EVP, head of series Caroline Kusser attending TV market in Cannes.

Upgrade Productions, the LA-based production company launched by Matt Brodlie and Jonathan Kier focused on local-language productions, has announced a Mexican feature project and two upcoming series from India and Italy heading into Mipcom and AFM.

Comedy drama My Teacher, Mr. Kim Remake is a Mexican remake of the 2003 South Korean film My Teacher, Mr. Kim to be directed by Celso Garcia, the fast-rising filmmaker whose multiple award-winning 2015 debut feature The Thin Yellow Line was produced by Guillermo del Toro. Mineko Mori is producing with Upgrade...

Sweeping romance spans decades after Second World War.

Matt Brodlie and Jonathan Kier’s Upgrade Productions is partnering with Japanese production powerhouse Shochiku on the series A True Novel.

The eight-part Japanese-language series is produced by Shochiku, creator of the world’s longest-running feature film series Tora-san, and written by Riko Sakaguchi, whose credits include Oscar-nominated The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, Mary And The Witches Flower and After The Rain.

Upgrade Productions serves as executive producer on the project, based on Minae Mizumura’s 2003 Japanese novel itself inspired by Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. The sweeping saga is set...

Features the voices of: Ruby Barnhill, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner, Lynda Baron, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Morwenna Banks, Teresa Gallagher, Rasmus Hardiker, Rebecca Kidd, Kate Winslet | Written by Riko Sakaguchi, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, David Freedman, Lynda Freedman | Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Now I’ve already reviewed Mary and the Witch’s Flower earlier this year. That first review is on Nerdly for you to check out and goes into a little more detail about things like the dubbing. However, it’s not very often I give the movies I review a second opinion but how does Mary and the Witch’s Flower hold up after a second glance?Well, honestly, there isn’t much else I can add that I didn’t already mention in my first review of the Studio Ponoc film.

The story of Mary and the Witch’s Flower is based on the children’s classic, My Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart.

Features the voices of: Ruby Barnhill, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner, Lynda Baron, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Morwenna Banks, Teresa Gallagher, Rasmus Hardiker, Rebecca Kidd, Kate Winslet | Written by Riko Sakaguchi, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, David Freedman, Lynda Freedman | Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Mary and the Witch’s Flower is the first film from Studio Ponoc. This studio is founded by Studio Ghibli veterans so the question is: Does Mary and the Witch’s Flower feel like an equal to something like a Studio Ghibli film?

The story of Mary and the Witch’s Flower is based on the children’s classic, My Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart. To those unaware of its story, a young girl called Mary has moved to the countryside and she doesn’t really fit in. One day, she comes across a mysterious and rare flower that gives her magical abilities such as bringing a broomstick to life and...

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I Feel Pretty

An insecure woman (Amy Schumer) suffers a head injury that induces the delusion that she is extremely physically attractive. Cowritten and codirected by Abby Kohn.

find cinemas

Tully

Charlize Theron stars as a new mother overwhelmed by baby care who bonds with her night nanny (Mackenzie Davis). Written by Diablo Cody. (male director)

my review | find cinemas

The Strangers: Prey at Night

Christina Hendricks and Bailee Madison costar as members of a family terrorized by psychopaths. (male writers and director)

find cinemas

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Mary and the Witch’s Flower [pictured]

Riko Sakaguchi cowrites (with Lynda Freedman cowriting the English version) the story of a little girl (Japanese voice: Hana Sugisaki; English voice: Ruby Barnhill) who stumbles upon a magical world hidden in the countryside. (male director)

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Modern Life Is Rubbish

Freya Mavor costars in this romantic comedy about a couple whose breakup is complicated by their love of music.

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I, Tonya [my review] pictured

Black comedy about disgraced champion figure skater Tonya Harding, starring Margot Robbie. (male writer and director)

Phantom Thread [my review]

Romantic drama costarring Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville as, respectively, the lover and sister of a (male) fashion designer. (male writer/director)

Forever My Girl [IMDb]

Jessica Rothe costars in a romance about a (male) country musician, written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf.

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Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story [my review]

Documentarian Kate McIntyre Clere cowrites and codirects; interviewees include lots of female experts.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower [IMDb]

Riko Sakaguchi cowrites (with Lynda Freedman cowriting the English version) the story of a little girl (Japanese voice: Hana Sugisaki; English voice: Ruby Barnhill) who stumbles upon a magical world hidden in the countryside. (male director)

Ridge Runners [IMDb]

Jennica Schwartzman stars as a cop searching for a missing girl. (male writer and director)

Please let me know if I’ve missed any movies directed by,...

Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are back to work on a new feature film, but in the interim when it was thought that The Wind Rises may be their final outing, a handful of veterans from the studio went on to form their own company, Studio Ponoc. Their first feature is Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the latest from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There), an adaptation of Mary Stewart’s The Little Broomstick, as scripted by the director and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya). Ahead of a U.S. release in January thanks to Gkids, a new trailer has now arrived.

The story follows a young girl named Mary (Hana Sugisaki) who discovers a forbidden plant that grants her the power to become a witch for one night. Dan Schindel said in our review, “While there are plenty...

Animation is inaugural feature from Studio Ponoc.

Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower and plans a winter release.

Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 children’s book The Little Broomstick. The story centres on an ordinary young girl named Mary, who discovers a flower that grants magical powers for only one night. As she is whisked into an exciting new world beyond belief, she must learn to stay true to herself.

Hiromasa Yonebayashi directs the film written by Riko Sakaguchi and produced by Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura.

Yonebayashi’s The Secret World Of Arrietty remains the highest-grossing Studio Ghibli title in the United States to date.

Gkids distributed previous Yonebayashi and Nishimura films When Marnie Was There and The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, both of which were nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature.

Mike Runagall of [link...

Acclaimed animation producer and distributor Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower. The film is the first feature from the Japan-based Studio Ponoc. Academy Award-nominated director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty, When Marnie Was There) helms the film based on Mary Stewart's 1971 children's book The Little Broomstick. It was adapted for the big screen by Yonebayashi and Riko Sakaguchi. The story…...

Indie distributor Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the inaugural feature from Japan-based Studio Ponoc.

The film is directed by Academy Award-nominee Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There) and is produced by Studio Ponoc founder and two-time Academy Award-nominee Yoshiaki Nishimura (Studio Ghibli’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There).

Gkids distributed Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There, both of which were nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower was written by Riko Sakaguchi,...

In terms of animated offerings this year, one of the most promising is Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the latest from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There), an adaptation of Mary Stewart‘s The Little Broomstick, as scripted by the director and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya).

The first Studio Ponoc animated film follows a young girl named Mary (Hana Sugisaki) who discovers a forbidden plant that grants her the power to become a witch for one night. Featuring a team made up of many past Ghibli animators, a new trailer has arrived, showing off more stunning visuals. While there’s no U.S. release date yet, it’ll arrive in Japan this July and one can see the new preview below.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower opens in Japanese theaters on July 8.

There’s a whole world beyond Ghibli. The newly founded Studio Ponoc is hoping to prove just that with “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” its inaugural release; the word “ponoc,” Croatian for “midnight,” signifies new beginnings. Watch the newest trailer for “Mary” below.

Read More: ‘Mary and The Witch’s Flower’ Trailer: Studio Ponoc’s First Film Keeps the Spirit of Studio Ghibli Alive

The film, an adaptation of Mary Stewart’s “The Little Broomstick,” was written by Riko Sakaguchi (“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”) and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (“When Marnie Was There”), who co-founded Ponoc after Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement prompted Ghibli to announce that it would no longer produce feature films. (That didn’t last, of course.) It tells of a little girl who learns she has mysterious powers, albeit with a catch: They only last for one night.

Read More: ‘Mary and the Witch...

Studio Ponoc has released a new trailer for its upcoming anime fantasy film “Mary and the Witch’s Flower.” Directed by Ponoc’s co-founder Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the film marks the Japanese studio’s inaugural production, following its opening in April 2015.

Yonebayashi and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, former staffers at Studio Ghibli —the studio behind anime classics such as “Spirited Away” (2001) and “My Neighbor Toronto” (1988)— founded Studio Ponoc following Ghibli’s closing in 2014. “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is Yonebayashi’s third film, following Ghibli’s “When Marnie Was There” and “The Secret World of Arrietty.”

Read More: ‘Mary and the Witch’s Flower’ Trailer: Ex-Studio Ghibli Staffers Reveal Sweeping New Project

“Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 children’s book “The Little Broomstick,” with a screenplay by Riko Sakaguchi (“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”). It follows the story of a little girl who,...

After word late last year that The Wind Rises would in fact not be Hayao Miyazaki‘s swan song, we were waiting to hear if Studio Ghibli would do the obvious and greenlight his next feature-length animation. The director was reportedly working on up to 100 storyboards for the film as he awaited the go-ahead, and now official word has come in that the Spirited Away helmer has begun production on his next feature.

Miyazaki’s long-time producer Toshio Suzuki confirmed the news last night while at a pre-Oscars interview for the Studio Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, which is nominated for Best Animated Feature. “Right now in Tokyo, he’s putting all his effort into making it [the feature],” says Suzuki, who will re-team with the director to produce, according to Kyodo (via Kotaku). Ideally aiming for a release in 2019, before Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020, Miyazaki realizes it could potentially take until 2021 to complete.

Studio Ghibli will never die, and although the studio is technically no more it is a relief that the essence of the company remains intact. Last year brought The Red Turtle, and this year two Oscar nominated former Ghibli staff aim to bring us the most Ghibli-esque effort yet with Mary and the Witch's Flower. Read on after the bump. Madman Entertainment has secured Australia and New Zealand release rights to Mary And The Witch's Flower, the inaugural feature from Studio Ponoc, the Japanese animation house founded by former Ghibli Studio producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi – the filmmaking duo behind the 2015 Oscar-nominated When Marnie Was There. Currently in post-production, the screenplay has been written by Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale Of The Princess...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The project is the first feature from former Studio Ghibli filmmakers Yoshiaki Nishimura and Hiromasa Yonebayashi.

Altitude Film Sales has secured worldwide rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower, the first film from Japanese animation house Studio Ponoc.

The firm was set up by former Studio Ghibli director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Arrietty), and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya).

Altitude Film Distribution has UK rights to the project, currently in post-production, with Madman Entertainment releasing the film in Australia and New Zealand.

Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on the novel by Mary Stewart called The Little Broomstick. Yonebayashi and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya) wrote the screenplay.

The story centres on a lonely girl who is whisked off to Endor College, school of witchcraft, by a magical broomstick.

Studio Ponoc’s founders have brought together former Studio Ghibli animators and artists to create new films in the tradition...

The project is the first feature from former Studio Ghibli filmmakers Yoshiaki Nishimura and Hiromasa Yonebayashi.

Altitude Film Sales has secured worldwide rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower, the first film from Japanese animation house Studio Ponoc.

The firm was set up by former Studio Ghibli director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Arrietty), and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya).

Altitude Film Distribution has UK rights to the project, currently in post-production, with Madman Entertainment releasing the film in Australia and New Zealand.

Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on the novel by Mary Stewart called The Little Broomstick. Yonebayashi and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya) wrote the screenplay.

The story centres on a lonely girl who is whisked off to Endor College, school of witchcraft, by a magical broomstick.

Studio Ponoc’s founders have brought together former Studio Ghibli animators and artists to create new films in the tradition...

In 2014, Studio Ghibli announced that it would no longer produce feature films following director Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement. Its last work to date was Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s “When Marnie Was There,” about an adolescent girl who becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and a mysterious girl who lives there. Now, Yonebayashi and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura have founded a new company Studio Ponoc, which has employed many ex-Ghibli staffers, and will soon release its first production: “Mary and the Witch’s Flower.” Watch a short trailer for the film below, courtesy of Slate.

Read More: ‘Ocean Waves’ Trailer: Studio Ghibli’s Restored 1993 Animated Film Explores Changing Friendships

Adapted from Mary Stewart’s children’s book “The Little Broomstick” by Riko Sakaguchi (“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”), the film follows a little girl who embarks on an adventure after being exiled to her great aunt’s house. It will be Yonebayashi...

With their work finished on the forthcoming The Red Turtle, Studio Ghibli currently aren’t active (at least until Hayao Miyazaki‘s next film gets the green light), but it hasn’t stopped some of the team from working. Former producer at the animation company, Yoshiaki Nishimura, founded Studio Ponoc last year and recruited many of his past co-workers to join him on their first feature-length project, Mary and the Witch’s Flower (translated from Mary to Majo no Hana), and today we have the first preview.

Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There), the film is an adaptation of Mary Stewart‘s The Little Broomstick, as scripted by the director and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya), which follows a girl who goes an an enchanting adventure after being exiled to her great aunt’s house. The first teaser has...

Director: Isao Takahata; Screenwriter: Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi; Starring: Aki Asakura, Kengo Kora, Takeo Chii, Nobuko Miyamoto; Running time: 137 mins; Certificate: U

Isao Takahata makes his directorial comeback with The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, his first film for Studio Ghibli since 1999's My Neighbours the Yamadas. The man behind the brilliant, emotionally-devastating Grave of the Fireflies may be in his late 70s, but on this evidence he's still able to conjure up a memorable yarn.

Based on an old Japanese folktale, it centres on a kindly wood cutter who stumbles across a tiny girl living in a bamboo shoot. Taken in by the man and his wife, she's named Princess but earns the moniker Little Bamboo from other children in the village due to her ability to magically grow at speed.

When her adopted father finds gold the family uproot to a mansion in the city and a life...

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Written by Isao Takahata and Riko Sakaguchi

Directed by Isao Takahata

Japan, 2014

Taking many of its features from Studio Ghibli mainstays, Isao Takahata’s latest film The Tale of Princess Kaguya tackles an age-old folktale from Japan, bringing the studio’s warmth and childhood imagination to a mythic scale. It’s based upon The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, with a visual style imitating children’s storybooks or perhaps the scroll of the tale itself. It’s an act of wonderment to be in the presence of fluid, beautiful hand-drawn animation in a time clamoring for more and more computers at play, but the nostalgic value only barely supersedes its rough-and-tumble approach to adapting the anti-fairy-tale to the big screen.

The tale begins within nature, as a humble bamboo cutter going about his work discovers a radiant stalk amongst his field. Inside, he finds a fairy-sized princess,...